Wetlands Dumping Approved Orange Receives Okay -- Orlando Has To Wait

August 14, 1985|By Mike Thomas of The Sentinel Staff

PALATKA — Regional water managers Tuesday gave Orange County permission to dump 6 million gallons of treated wastewater a day into natural wetlands, but delayed a decision on whether Orlando can dump 20 million gallons of wastewater into artificial wetlands.

The St. Johns River Water Management District left unresolved whether the two governments would have to reuse wastewater for irrigation, a policy that local officials said would cost millions of dollars.

Although Orange County received permission to dump into wetlands that drain into the Econlockhatchee River, the district governing board required that 10 percent of the wastewater be reused.

Next month the district will decide whether putting wastewater in wetlands should be considered reuse.

Orlando's permit to dump 20 million gallons of wastewater a day into 1,200 acres of artificial wetlands was delayed a month so biologists could determine how that would affect natural wetlands in the Seminole Ranch. The wastewater would drain into the ranch from the artificial wetland. From there it would flow into the St. Johns River.

The district bought the ranch with the Nature Conservancy, a national environmental organization.The conservancy imposed deed restrictions on the property that forbid the district from altering its natural condition.

Officials must determine if expected changes in vegetation, such as increases in duckweed and cattails, would violate deed restrictions.

The Tuesday meeting highlighted the controversy state officials are running into as more local governments turn to wetlands sewage disposal.

Supporters argue that wetlands vegetation flourishes in wastewater that otherwise would pollute rivers and lakes. However, opponents argue that wastewater would be better used for irrigating farmland, parks and resi- dential lawns.